Detained former presidential aspirant publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has told the Department of State Services that he has never been
Detained former presidential aspirant publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has told the Department of State Services that he has never been involved in any act of terror and that there is no evidence anywhere linking him to belonging to a terrorist organisation. Sowore also stated that there was nowhere he expressed a desire to launch any violent attack or topple the government in Nigeria.
Sowore who has been in detention since August 3. He was arrested on the eve of a nationwide protest organised by the movement. The DSS accused him of threatening public peace and safety with the planned protest. After his arrest, the agency charged him with terrorism and subsequently secured a court order to detain him for 45 days.
In a 19-page counter affidavit deposed to by Mr Abubakar Marshal on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja in a suit No FHC/ABJ /CS/915/2019 in response to the allegations levelled against him by DSS, Sowore who is also a convener of ‘Revolution Now’ movement denied having any meeting or consultation with members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. He said that he needed treatment on his ankle, which was seriously sprained during the midnight invasion of his abode on August 2, 2019, by security operatives.
He noted that his pedigree as a pro-democracy activist, social crusader and frontline opinion moulder was unblemished, adding that he is one of the activists, who played vital roles in restoring democracy in Nigeria in May 1999. He said he had never visited Dubai or any of the United Arab Emirates cities or received any money from any individual, group or organisation for the purpose of removing President Muhammadu Buhari from office or freeing any person through any unlawful means as alleged by the government.
The activist said that he had availed the DSS his local and foreign bank accounts details and the operatives could not believe that he does not have millions of naira in his accounts.
Meanwhile, a federal high court in Abuja has dismissed an application challenging his detention. Evelyn Maha, a judge, said the motion filed by Sowore through Femi Falana, his lawyer, cannot be granted as the matter is already before another judge who granted the initial exparte order.
Taiwo Taiwo, the judge who granted the detention order, said he did so “only to the extent” of allowing the security agency to keep the respondent in custody for the 45 days to conclude its investigation.
Sowore said the secret police does not have the power to prosecute him on terrorism charges.
